Level indicator of the luminous type



" Patented Apr. 7, 1925.-

' the Lumin'oiis Type, of

UNITED. STATES.

"1,532,995 PATENT OFFICE.

ANDRE seen, or 's'n-onn n, amen.

LEVEL mmcaron or THE LUMINOUS mu;

imam-med March a, 1924. Serial No. 697,320.

To all wlw'm it may concern:

, Be it known that l. ANDRE: GAGE, a citizen of the Republic of France, and residing at St-Ouen. Seine Department. No. 14 Rue des Bateliers, in the' Republic of France. industrial, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Level Indicators of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to a level indicator whose readings maybe taken with great accuracy and facility by the observation of the point of emergence of abeam of light which traverses the transparent walls of the .tube or like vessel of the indicator and is deflected by refraction in various manners according as'the said beam traverses the fluid whose level is to be observed or another fluid in contact therewith and having a difi'erent index of refraction.

The beam refracted by one of the said fluids may be intercepted, and the illuminant may be so disposed that the disappearance of the emerging point of light will show that the level of the surface of separation of the two fluids has descended below the standard limit.

The appended drawings which are given.

by way of example, illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the principle of the said apparatus. Fig. 2 is a Profile elevation of the'apparatus, the level gauge properly so called being shown in section.

. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same, on the line *AA of Fig. 2.

The vessel shown in section in Fig. 1 comprises the transparent walls'l and 2, and it contains the fluid whose level isto be ascertained, water for instance, above which is a fluid having a different index of refraction,

, such as air.

An illuminant 3 is disposed at one side of the said vemel so as to emit an inclined beam of parallel rays which may 4 pass through an aperture in the screen 4 placed against the wall 1. When traversing the vessel the beam is difl'erently refracted according as the traversed portion contains water or air; the respective points of emergence areindicated at 5 and 6 on the screen 2. It is simply necessary to cover the point of emergence by .a screen 7 while the point 5 remains free, in order to obtain a j mmnous detecting device of a simple charthe said lamps.

one or the other of the saidfluids.

As a substitute for the said screen, I may dispose upon the wall 2, at the pointse and 6, suitable glass elements of different acter which is responsive to the-presence of colors. or the two refracted beams can .be

received upon screens which are different or differently colored. l By providing a series of apertures at the upper part of the vessel, I am enabled to form a region corresponding to the \rays which are refracted by the water and can issue from the device. and a dark region corresponding to the rays retracted by the ated betweenthe said apertures.

air and intercepted by the plain parts situ said method, the use of the same for water gauges upon boilers is of especial interest, as it will obviate the drawback due to the lack of visibility of the indications given by the current types of gauge.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 andB comprises a two p'art rectangular casing 8, 9 pivoting on the hinge 10:'the parts can be united by the hooks .11 mounted on the 1 5 part 8 and the screws with nuts 12 disposed- .on the part 9. a

. The lighting means c om'pi ise plurality of'incandescent electric lamps 13 mounted.

int-he clamps 14 which are secured to the plates of insulating substance 15; said plates are mounted in theU-shaped members 16 secured to the part 9 of the said casing.

between which is disposed an illuminating distributor 17 consisting of a flat plate pierced with inclined slots in number corresponding to the lamps 13 and which are.

respectively traversed by the beams from The said slots-'as also the lampsare equally spaced apart, and they. determine the inclination, width and thickness of the incident beams.

The said device is attached to the gauge tube 1, 2 on one side by the lugs 18 and on the other side by means of the. optical selector 19; the latter is analogous to the said distributor and is held between two members 16 secured to the portion 8 of the casinggn.

The said selector .afiords passage to the emergent rays refracted by the water and cuts ofi the rays from the lam source. A diffuser 20, consisting for examCpIe of a glass plate ground onone si e' an having thereon a plurality of hemis- 13 or like pherical bosses, is disposed against the selecv particular, .it is evident that otherclasses' tor 19, and by its use theindications furnished by the issuing rays after refraction bythe water can be observed from a distant.

point. cover plate 21, mounted in guides on the part 9, serves to' uncover they set of. I lamps so thatthe latter canbe replaced when out ofuse without opening the cas-' mg Qbviously, my invention is in no. wise limited to the applicatlonto boiler gauges as above. disclosed by way of example; In

' or signal device showing the excess orthe lack of uid in an industrial apparatus upon which t esaid luminous gauge is disposed.

(llaims-.-' 1. A device for facilitating the observation of a level gauge tube, comprising an tion ofa level gaugetube, comprising an illuminant disposed at the side of the tube containing the fluid whose level is to be illuminant at the'side of the tube containing the fluid whoselevel is to.be'observed, means dlsposed between the said illuminant and the said tube whereby the beam is compelled to fall upon the tube at a determined incidence, and means disposed at the other side'of'the tube and afl'ording passage sole- 1y to theincident rays which are refracted through the said fluid.-

2. A device for facilitating the observation of a level gauge tube, comprising an illuminant disposed at. the side of the tube containing the fluid whoselevel is to be observed, a distributing element which is suitably apertured and is interposed between the illuminant and the said tube whereby the" rays are compelled to fall upon the tube at ya determined incidence, and

means disposed at the other side of the tube and affording passage solely tothe incident rays which are refracted through the said fluid.

I 3. A device :for facilitating the observ'ation of a level gauge tube, comprising an illuminant disposed at the side of the tube containing the fluid whose level is to be observed, a distributing element which is suitably apertured and is interposed between the illuminant and the said tube whereby the rays-are compelled .to fall upon the tube .atla determined incidence, an apert-ured sewhereby the rays are compelled to fall upon the tube ,at a determined incidence, and means disposed at the other side of the tube and affording passage solely to the lncident rays which are refracted through the said fluid, the illuminant consisting of a series of lamps respectively adjecent the apertures of the said distributing element.

55A device for facilitatingthe observaobserved, a distributing :element which is suitably apertured and is interposed beelements being spaced a ike but displaced in such manner as to afford passage to the inciment consisting of a glass plate whose outer face is ground-and is provided with ,suitdent rays which are refracted through the fluid and the said tube, and a diifusing eleable pro ections or bosses, the said. diiiusing element being placed upon'the external face of the said selecting element.

In testimony that I claim, the foregoing as my invention, 1 have signed-my name in presence of a subscribing witness.

a ANDRE GAGE.

Witness: 7

MAURICE Roux. 

